Chapter Twenty-eight

Severus stopped in front of a frozen Harry, his brow furrowed. "Harry? What are you doing there?" Severus took another step forward, his eyes boring into Harry's wide ones with concern. "What's wrong?"

Harry shook his head, in a daze. "I can't do it," he whispered. "I can't do it…"

Severus took a few more steps closer to Harry. "What are you talking about?"

Harry sank to the floor. Severus quickly knelt down beside the boy, his face still the perfect mask of concern. Harry shook his head head again, coughing. "I can't go to Hogwarts, I can't face any of them," Harry whispered. "He was so angry."

Severus's expression relaxed a little, and he put an arm around Harry's shoulder, letting Harry rest his head against his arm.

"Draco?"

Harry nodded in reply. "It was like he forgot that he was talking to me instead of... him."

"Perhaps Draco needed to get whatever he said off his chest," Severus said quietly. "He couldn't bring himself to go to your funeral, you know."

"I know," Harry said, nodding. "Thanks."

Severus frowned. "For what?"

"Talking to me." Harry grinned.

"I'll always talk to you," Severus answered. "Whenever you need me to."

A sudden knock on the front door made Severus groan. He stood back up to go answer it, but Harry stayed in the exact same spot. He didn't feel like getting up just then.

"Harry," Severus called from the foyer, a rather annoyed tinge to his voice.

Harry frowned and got up, making his way through the dining room and into the foyer, where Severus stood along with—

Evan Taylor?

"Hey, sport, you're all ready—how convenient," Evan commented.

Harry frowned. "Ready for what, exactly?"

"The amusement park." Evan frowned a bit, too, and then burst out laughing. "Don't tell me you forgot already."

Harry shook his head slowly. "I just didn't realize you meant so soon."

"Well," Evan said cheerfully, "speaking of soon, we should go soon."

"Er…" Harry let out a breath, looking at Severus for some help. Severus looked back at Harry, an amused expression playing across his face, but there was also a hint of annoyance. "Uh—" Harry stopped, turning his back to Evan as he stared at Severus pleadingly.

"Is something wrong?" Evan frowned, looking down at Harry in concern.

Inwardly, Harry sighed. There was no getting out of this. Aloud he said, "No. Everything's fine. We should leave."

Evan clapped his hands together. "Exactly what I was thinking! Severus, if you'll excuse us."

"Evan," Severus said icily, "if you'll excuse us, I need to talk to my son."

Severus held onto Harry's elbow as he tugged him forward, over to the bench that Draco and Harry had sat on.

"You don't have to go anywhere with him," Severus said firmly. "I know last night you were just acting that way because you knew it would get to me –"

"I did not!" Harry lied, feeling his face burn. "I was being nice."

Severus made a face. "I'm sure you were. What your intentions were do not matter right now, Harry. What I'm saying is that you do not have to go."

Harry let out a breath, his eyes wandering over to Evan, who was casually standing in the doorway with his hands shoved in his pockets.

"No," Harry finally said. "I'll go. He won't stop bothering me about it unless I do."

Severus's lip curled. "Very well. I'll see you later then."

Harry winced at the harsh tone. "Sev, don't be like that. Please."

"No. It's fine," Severus replied shortly. "Go. Have fun."

Harry's own frustration started to flow through him. He scowled, saying, "Fine, you can be assured that I will. Goodbye."

Harry walked by Severus, trying to force a bright, fake smile on his face as he approached Evan.

"Ready, kiddo?"

"Sure am."

Evan paused, his eyes flickering uncertainly on to Severus, who hadn't budged. "Is everything all right with your father?"

Harry tried not to grit his teeth together. "Fine. Can we just go?"

Without waiting for a reply, Harry walked back into the house. Evan cast Severus a curious glance before he followed the boy.

"You're in an awful hurry," Evan commented lightly as they reached the front door. "Don't you want to say goodbye to Severus?"

"I already did," Harry said, looking down at the ground.

Evan hesitated, clearing his throat. "Yes, well... just wait here, will you? I'll start the car. You lot... talk."

Which is exactly what they didn't do. Harry was nearly tempted to follow Evan right out the door, but thought maybe Severus might apologize for being so... what was it? Envious all the time? But Severus didn't even speak, which brought back a strange sense of deja-vu.

"Harry!" Evan called, sticking his head out the window. "All set?"

Harry started out the door. A gentle hand was placed on his shoulder. Freezing, Harry whipped his head around, meeting Severus's eye.

"Have fun," Severus said again, this time in a sincere voice.

Caught off guard, Harry blinked. "T—thanks."

"Be careful," Severus added. "Try not to wander away from Evan Taylor, will you? I don't want you lost or hurt or—"

"Dad," Harry interrupted softly, his eyebrows raised in amusement. "I'm not going to get lost. Or hurt. I'll be home soon."

Severus stared at Harry, his eyes dark and piercing. He gave his head a final nod, then watched Harry leave.

--

Harry's face hovered over a rubbish bin while Evan stood beside him, rubbing his hand in almost soothing circles over Harry's back as he vomited. Two bumber cars, one tilt-a-whirl, one ferris wheel, one swing ride, one teacup and—ugh—one roller coaster ride later.

"I should have waited to give you the popcorn and candyfloss after that roller coaster," Evan muttered. "I'm sorry, Harry, I didn't realize."

"You didn't realize?" Harry croaked, stopping to gag. He let out a shaky breath. "Can y—you take me home?"

"Yes, yes, of course," Evan agreed quickly. "Are you... done?"

"For now," Harry replied, as darkly as he could. He let Evan put an arm around him, helping him to the car. Harry took slow breaths, in and out, to try and calm himself. When they reached the car, Evan leaned forward to open the door, and Harry slipped inside.

Evan fastened the seatbelt, then hovered in front of Harry, saying, "Now, if you feel like you're going to vomit, then tell me beforehand so I can pull over the car and you can get out and do that. Okay?"

Harry made a face. "I'll try?"

Evan nodded, shutting the door. He was quite disappointed that they'd only been there for fifty minutes; he'd been hoping at the most, two. Perhaps even two and a half. Even though it felt like two hours—oh, the things you can get done within fifty minutes at the amusement park! Next time, he'd make sure to eat after they went on the rides.

--

"Well... you're possessive and, uh, can I say easily jealous." Sirius, eyebrows raised, kept eye contact with Severus the entire time he'd said that, just to prove that there was no kidding around about this.

Severus snorted. "Possessive and jealous? Of course, yes."

Sirius's lips parted in protest. "It's true! You'd go off your trolley every time Harry might come to me with a problem—"

"That is not true," Severus interrupted firmly, scowling.

"Oh, it is true!" Sirius abandoned the paint cans that sat on the floor of his new restaurant and went over to stand next to Severus. "Sit down, will you?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Where do you propose that I sit down at?"

Sirius's eyes travelled about the room. He had a point, Sirius thought. All the tables and chairs had been put in the back room while Sirius and Remus painted the inside of the restaurant. Remus was out getting more paint.

"Here," Sirius said suddenly. "Come over to this booth." He waited until Severus sat down in front of him before he propped his elbows up on the table, leaning forward just slightly as he said, "You're always possessive and jealous when it comes to Evan Taylor."

Severus scoffed. "And you say I am off my trolley? Black, I assure you—"

"No!" Sirius interrupted, his own face twisting into a scowl. He shook his head. "Don't interrupt me, Sev. Let me talk."

Severus blinked, his face going blank. He gave a curt nod, leaning back. "Go on."

Sirius swallowed. "Okay, thank you. Don't even try to argue that you're not jealous when Evan Taylor is involved. You always have been; we all know. So does most of the town, probably. As for Evan Taylor himself, I don't know. Do you even know that you are, or are you just oblivious to it?" When Severus opened his mouth to speak, Sirius hastily added, "And don't even think of lying to me."

Severus closed his mouth, glaring. Then, in a slow voice, he said, "I admit that I can be... envious, yes..."

Sirius grinned. "I'm glad you admitted it; admitting is always the first step. What I've always wanted to know is why? You have no competition with him, that's for sure. You're always first in Harry's eyes." He narrowed his eyes. "Is it because he's always tried to be a better father-figure to Harry than you are?"

"Of course not." Severus made a face. "That man is no more of a father-figure to Harry than—"

"He tries to be," Sirius interjected. "Where did you say they were now?"

"The amusement park," Severus muttered.

Sirius nodded, sighing. "I'll wager Harry's having the worst time and wishes he were with you instead." Sirius leaned forward a bit more. "While we're on this subject, Snape, I think I should let you know that every time you do get possessive and jealous that you should not get so bloody shirty with everyone, especially Harry, because then he gets just as angry with you. You're both stubborn and can both stay angry for the longest time. It's unbelievable."

"I think he was a little angry with me before he left," Severus mused out loud, more to himself than to Sirius.

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "I wonder why?"

"Yes, all right," Severus snapped. "I was a little... jealous, I suppose, and—at this point I do believe we should change the subject."

Sirius grinned, relaxing in the seat. "Well, care to help Rem and I paint this place when he gets back?"

Severus stood up, straightening his clothes as he did so. "I don't think so, Black. I'll see you back at the manor."

"He's only been gone for what, forty five minutes? Not even an hour," Sirius reminded Severus in a slightly gentle voice. "I don't think he'll be back just yet."

"Like you said," Severus replied lightly. "He might be having the worst time and wishes he were with me instead."

--

"How are you feeling?" Evan asked hurriedly, briefly taking his eyes off the road to glance at Harry.

"A little gross," Harry muttered, pressing his hand to his forehead. "Do you have to drive so fast? It's... ugh..."

"The sooner we get you home the better everything will be," Evan stated. "Just remember: if you feel like you're going to puke, tell me beforehand so I can—"

Harry's eyes widened and he quickly sat up, puking all over the floor where his feet were. Evan made a startled noise, and Harry spread his feet farther apart, making sure that they didn't go in the vomit. Well, at least he felt better now.

Evan made a disgusted face as he looked down at the vomit, opening his mouth to say something. At the same time, Harry was about to tell him to watch where he was going, but there wasn't a point to that now: the car swerved to avoid something on the road, jerking Harry sideways. The breath was instantly knocked out of him. He blinked rapidly as he started to see spots, trying to make them go away—and that was the last thing he saw.

--